I read the other reviews before watching the film. It was a bit slow, but it was touching. The relationship between the father and son was heartbreaking. My father died before I could get a chance to REALLY know him. This movie took me there. The countryside was gorgeous and well-shot. I only wish there was more extrapolation concerning the aunt. A decent film though.
14 Reviews
No need for secrets
bkoganbing13 February 2017
I don't want to be too critical because this is a foreign language film in a foreign language I'm not that versed in. But it seemed to me that Jonathan moved at a snail's pace and about a third of it could have been cut.
Hunky jock type Jannis Niewohner is in the title role, in America we'd say he was an All American kid. He's working the family farm which doesn't look any different from one in our mid west heartland with his father, taking on more and more responsibility because dad is dying of skin cancer. He's also got an aunt eyeing him like a slab of meat and he does give her a prime cut.
Now that he's dying dad played by Andre Hennicke decides to come out to him. The love of his life was Thomas Sarbacker who now that he's dying sees no need for secrets. He moves on in and that sure upsets the young man and the household.
I've seen this played out in all cultures. Back in the day gay was verboten over there and Hennicke married a woman for convention's sake. Not all that different from Brokeback Mountain.
A nice story, a necessary one, but the pace was way too slow.
Hunky jock type Jannis Niewohner is in the title role, in America we'd say he was an All American kid. He's working the family farm which doesn't look any different from one in our mid west heartland with his father, taking on more and more responsibility because dad is dying of skin cancer. He's also got an aunt eyeing him like a slab of meat and he does give her a prime cut.
Now that he's dying dad played by Andre Hennicke decides to come out to him. The love of his life was Thomas Sarbacker who now that he's dying sees no need for secrets. He moves on in and that sure upsets the young man and the household.
I've seen this played out in all cultures. Back in the day gay was verboten over there and Hennicke married a woman for convention's sake. Not all that different from Brokeback Mountain.
A nice story, a necessary one, but the pace was way too slow.
Good acting and writing, overall a success
Horst_In_Translation19 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Jonathan" is a German German-language movie from 2016 that runs for 100 minutes. It is the first full feature film work by Polish short film and television series director Piotr J. Lewandowski. And he is also one of the three co-writers here. The cast includes several actors that German film buffs will immediately recognize, at least the faces, maybe even the names, like Niewöhner (playing the title character), Hennicke, Koschitz, Auer and Sarbacher. This is the story of a young man whose father is slowly dying from cancer. And while this happens, we, as well as the protagonist, find out that his dad's last wish is apparently to be reunited with a former sweetheart. Only problem is that the latter is a man. This causes some major struggles of course to everybody when it comes to dealing with this new situation, especially in terms of Auer's character. Back to Niewöhner: His character himself has a relatively unlikely love relationship going on for himself that may be entirely different in essence compared to his dad's, but eventually there are similarities because both are facing major obstacles for their decisions and preferences.
Anyway, the film does go a bit over the top perhaps when it comes to depicting homophobia as really it is basically accepted in our society nowadays and some of the drama did not ring true. But the actors somehow make it work eventually and Niewöhner holds his own well in the face of all these much more experienced and established German actors. Thumbs up to him and to everybody else. Another minor criticism is that the ending is maybe a bit too much feel-good and in the spirit of really wanting to end it on a happy note (despite the death of course), some realism was sacrificed by Lewandowski I guess. But nonetheless, it is a pretty decent first feature by him and it shows that he collected a solid deal of experience in other formats already in his career. The film almost never feels pretentious, but has an authentic touch to it and in my very example it definitely also helped that I like almost all of the actors. Besides, the setting and scenery also work pretty nicely with the overall story. I enjoyed these slightly over 1.5 hours and recommend checking them out. A positive surprise for sure.
Anyway, the film does go a bit over the top perhaps when it comes to depicting homophobia as really it is basically accepted in our society nowadays and some of the drama did not ring true. But the actors somehow make it work eventually and Niewöhner holds his own well in the face of all these much more experienced and established German actors. Thumbs up to him and to everybody else. Another minor criticism is that the ending is maybe a bit too much feel-good and in the spirit of really wanting to end it on a happy note (despite the death of course), some realism was sacrificed by Lewandowski I guess. But nonetheless, it is a pretty decent first feature by him and it shows that he collected a solid deal of experience in other formats already in his career. The film almost never feels pretentious, but has an authentic touch to it and in my very example it definitely also helped that I like almost all of the actors. Besides, the setting and scenery also work pretty nicely with the overall story. I enjoyed these slightly over 1.5 hours and recommend checking them out. A positive surprise for sure.
beautiful
Kirpianuscus26 June 2017
For the simple story. for use of details. for the slow pace. for the sensuality and for the fight against past. for the discover of life by Jonathan, interpreted in decent manner by Jannis Niewohner. sure, it is not an original story. but one who could be touching because, in smart way, discover different perspectives about family life,sufferance and youth, giving a wise portrait of pain and last refuge, about desire and love, about a meet who resurrect hidden events, the confusion and angry and vulnerability of a young man for who reality knows profound changes. a farm and a family. and the return of a familiar stranger.and the choice as foundation of own life.
Interesting story.. but...
john-fiddle7 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is quite a sad story. I watched this movie because my name is Jonathan and this got my attention. While watching this, I realized, it shows quite exactly the same story I faced in my life. My mother also suicided with pills, my father also lied to me about this, I lived on a farm and I am in the actual age of the main protagonist. Scary, isn't it?! However, the movie itself is not as good as it could be! I think for myself "if this story is good enough for a film" one should make a movie of MY life, having quite exactly what has been showed here plus even more daunting stuff like heroin-addiction, being in prison, found the best and only friend hanging dead in his apartment on his birthday, cinematic escape from psychiatry fleeing from a police helicopter, riding a train, loosing my cousin through another suicide, being in the woods on dmt while a(nother) police helicopter traced me down plus more and more stuff one could not imagine. However I do not care any much more, since I am going to die through euthanasia very soon in the age of 26 because I cannot take all this at all anymore! If any director reads this, feel free to make a movie of MY life, because if THIS one ("Jonathan") has a right to exist, mine will give you a few Oscars!
Depressing, sad and a major downer....
ohlabtechguy5 February 2021
There was a gay themed American movie dealing with terminal cancer, but in that movie, there wasn't the overwhelming sadness of dealing with the death of a loved one. Instead, death was portrayed as natural and almost besides the point. Here the audience is slammed repeatedly with the dire consequences of being mortal and getting terminal skin cancer. The gay subplot and dark family secrets become almost irrelevant. The scene where the central, dying character had one final orgasm with his long absent partner in a hospital bed seemed totally contrived and unreal. The writer seemed to be saying that sex and love are the same. To equate those two subjects close to the moment of agonizing death seemed vulgar. Acting and production values were good; hence the 6 rating.
Beauty and gay exploitation
jromanbaker17 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I have many bones to pick with this film, endorsed by the IMDb advertising gay-themed films like 'Being 17' (a real masterpiece and a truly gay film) alongside it. This is misleading. 'Jonathan' whose namesake is vigorously heterosexual (with his James Dean looks) adds insult to injury. Even his vigorous hetero passion, with the young and good-looking female nurse looking after his cancer suffering father, is dominated by his buttocks!! Their good looks matched the perfect forest. They romp naked across the screen. Why? The real subject is having terminal skin cancer, and the gay element: a former lover who looked as ordinary as him. They are the film. The loving in the forest young ones were not. Life, as exemplified by their looks, was to put a balm over the real wound of human suffering that the film was trying to show. This is not a mainstream film, and it did not have to conform to this beauty fascism formula. I thought of the German film 'Harvest' with its ending that had me in real tears, a film truly about love and another kind of suffering, of being in a remote and intimidating rural setting for discovering homosexuality. I do not think the wooden (in every sense) Jonathan would have liked them much!! If this is aimed at a gay audience (and it was in the Teddy section at the Berlin Film Festival) then the audience going to see the film should be willing to confront the visibility of the father, the true subject, rather than the wonder of the actor who played Jonathan (unremarkable in the acting department) on the poster. The sell seems to be towards gay people. But are the sellers afraid we are not mature enough to see real elderly people in their ageing pain? That said, the film was well made in the now habitual art house way, but with none of the severity of the exquisite 'Harvest' which is its very distant German neighbour.
Missing the point
dnitzer-465-4126485 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I liked this movie. Some say it moved slowly, but considering the story it tells, that is appropriate. It is a young man's attempt to know the story about his parents, one of whom he has never known, and the other who is now dying.
Some of the reviews here are complaining that it celebrated homophobia, and/or minimized the gay story line, or that it isn't truly a gay story at all. I disagree. The gay characters might be secondary to the primary character, but it's a gay story in how those secondary characters affect the primary character, and the impact they have had on him. This is about a young man caring for his dying father, who never knew his mother, and doesn't understand why his father refuses to talk about her, knowing that time is running out for him to learn anything about his mother. His reaction and frustration are normal.
This is not celebrating homophobia; it is demonstrating how it impacts people and causes them to do unintentionally cruel actions; it is demonstrating the damage that homophobia does. I thought it gave a realistic portrayal of a man who lived his life in the closet but was determined not to die there. Is it so surprising that his son would be stunned at learning the truth about his parents? This wasn't about the son being homophobic, it was about his very reasonable and understandable sense of betrayal, learning that he had been told lies about his parents, for his entire life... and while his one remaining parent is in the throes of dying. Who wouldn't be shocked and frantic and angry at such a time? This was hardly celebrating homophobia; it was demonstrating its effects.
Some of the reviews here are complaining that it celebrated homophobia, and/or minimized the gay story line, or that it isn't truly a gay story at all. I disagree. The gay characters might be secondary to the primary character, but it's a gay story in how those secondary characters affect the primary character, and the impact they have had on him. This is about a young man caring for his dying father, who never knew his mother, and doesn't understand why his father refuses to talk about her, knowing that time is running out for him to learn anything about his mother. His reaction and frustration are normal.
This is not celebrating homophobia; it is demonstrating how it impacts people and causes them to do unintentionally cruel actions; it is demonstrating the damage that homophobia does. I thought it gave a realistic portrayal of a man who lived his life in the closet but was determined not to die there. Is it so surprising that his son would be stunned at learning the truth about his parents? This wasn't about the son being homophobic, it was about his very reasonable and understandable sense of betrayal, learning that he had been told lies about his parents, for his entire life... and while his one remaining parent is in the throes of dying. Who wouldn't be shocked and frantic and angry at such a time? This was hardly celebrating homophobia; it was demonstrating its effects.
Artificiality surrounded by nature, interspersed with shots of insects
candelach21 February 2016
Watching the film I was very confused for a long time why this was running in the Teddy section of the Berlinale. The closest the first half hour came to the theme was to display a borderline incestuous relationship between the father and his son. But then again, Jonathan also looked at nudes of his mother and threw himself on top of his aunt, so that's that. The acting was beneath contempt - stiff and wooden. Not for a second did I believe any of the characters to be real, throughout the film I could see the actors attempting to act. The lines were the biggest problem - both the script in itself as well as the delivery of it. It felt so artificial I couldn't help but laugh at certain scenes that were intended to be touching. The film is named after the "main character", yet he is the least thought out character of them all and therefore the least interesting.
This is what i call a tear jerking movie!
willeasyer3 May 2018
What a heartbreaking, soul-stirring and touching masterpiece. This movie drove me to tears, literally, It's a roller coaster of feelings. a German dramatic perfection about love, closure, family secrets and forgiveness and the most beautiful thing about it is its realism, this is not your typical drama. It starts with the story of a boy living and taking care of his dying dad on their farm with his absently present aunt, yet the situation can't but escalate as an old friend comes in and the shadows of the past start to surface and truths get told. We get through the agonizing lives of this characters living at what seemed like a simple life at first, a life that's mostly built on lies causing big wounds for everyone especially Jonathan the protagonist, whom I admire a lot because, as long as these heavy secrets unfold he stood and was always there for his father, shut I won't say more I don't want to spoil the story. This movie is a mosaic about family, forgiveness, and love and if there's one thing you will learn it's that family can overcome everything and it's never too late to make things right and find love even on the bed of death plus the end is very gratifying and warming so prepare the tissues.
Utterly Disgusting
Lorenz10603 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This amounts to a 90 minute salute to extreme homophobia and self-hatred. Jonathan, who, for unknown reasons, gets the film named after him (his farmboy good looks and bare-assed naked romps in the woods with his dying father's nurse?) is, quite simply, one of the most hateful characters I've ever seen in a film. A close second is his aunt, a psycho-Christian who won't go near her dying brother, who is in the last weeks of his life and in great physical and psychological pain (a neat combination of advanced cancer and shame). The acting and screenplay are atrocious (especially Jonathan, who may look good onscreen but I wish they had limited his words and some laughable actions, like slamming his fists into the sea in a homophobic fit and destroying his homemade lamp workshop) and the direction is nauseatingly slow and repetitive. There are a few - VERY few - moments of grace when the father's long-lost lover shows up about two thirds of the way into the film, but even then the family members go to extremes to show their hatred for him (the sister fires a shotgun in the air within a minute after he shows up on her property). There really are no redeeming features to this mess. And why the heck is it being pushed - by IMDb and Amazon - as a gay-themed film? Far from it! Go watch the utterly glorious "God's Own Country" (the best gay film in decades) or some of the wonderful gay films coming from Brazil, Portugal, and Spain.
Slow and boring
Waedliman6 January 2024
And here's another movie that comes from Germany and looks like a TV production. I admit that I'm already annoyed when it's thematically about freedom and you immediately see a bird circling in the sky. The obligatory cheap guitar music is missing because there was no money for an orchestra. André Hennicke plays a sick man, the father of Jonathan (Jannis Niewöhner). The two have a complicated relationship, which is immediately clear. Then Anka appears, a young nurse who has everything that such women don't actually have. But of course, she is an actress and looks like one - as do all the actors in this movie. Yes, I'm complaining about more realism and less film school here, because everything reeks of formalism and is also quite homophobic in its basic mood, despite being from 2016. The pace is tiring and the landscape shots don't interest me at all. If I want to watch flies fly, I open the window. Jannis Niewöhner hasn't done his career any favors here and certainly won't really point to his role as the highlight of his career.
Love, relationship and what could have been
jejcruzn12 June 2020
Don't miss it!
joao-798-9652887 March 2021
This is about the need to understand the other and the mistakes that we make. Sacrifices are made in life and they might not be understood and, often, not accepted. But, at the end, we are all human and need to learn to forgive, even ourselves.
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